Skip to content
To WdKA graduates platform
Moniek
Arends

The Holland Hate Awards

Rewarding a hater? why?! It might sound a bit odd: rewarding haters for bashing others online. You would say that this is not exactly behavior that we should stimulate. Unfortunately, the stimulation and normalization of online hatred is exactly what is happening right now. Many people consciously seek for hate comments. They think it's funny to see a celebrity being put in place, or it makes them feel good, knowing they would never let themselves go like that. "It gives us a sense of justice when we see a celebrity being bashed on."   To show how absurd it is that we use online hatred to entertain ourselves, I equated three haters with other creatives in the entertainment industry. Just as filmmakers have the Oscars and musicians have the Grammys, I designed The Holland Hate Awards for the haters. Because if we enjoy their creations so much, they deserve a place in the spotlights too, right?   Or not? Hopefully I've gotten you thinking and now you want to do something to counteract the normalization and glorification of online hatred. See below for a list of things of what you can do. 1. If possible, report any hate comment you come across on social media. Facebook does not remove everything that is reported, but in this way you at least ensure that the moderation team will take a look. Do you see something that is really unacceptable? Ask your friends and family to report it too. The more people report, the bigger the chance that that the comment gets removed.   2. Do you dare to go one step further? Say something about it when you see that someone else cannot behave online. We humans are group animals and very sensitive to social pressure. If we all correct each other more often, we can create healthy form of social control online.   3. If you don't want to report hate comments or correct the haters, try to resist the temptation to read hate comments on social media. The more hate comments you read, the less it will affect you in the long run. It dulls you, as it were.   4. Remember at all times: Just because someone is famous does not automatically make them a target. You really don't have to like everyone, and constructive feedback is okay, but watch your language.   5. Spread the word. Talk to your friends and family about this problem and explain that they can do something themselves too. The more people speak up, the bigger the chance of a tougher approach. On this page you can also find the full researchdocument that belongs to this project, and you can download and print this manifesto. Hang it on the wall at work, at school or in the football canteen, and spread the word.